Sparking igniter for gas-engines.



No. 737,532. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

B. L. I'DQUET. SPARKING IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1902.

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NO MODEL.

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No. 737,532. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

Y B. L. TOQUET. SPARKING IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

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BENJAMIN LOUIS TOQUET, OF WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SPARKING IGNITER FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,532, dated. August25, 1903. Application filed April 3, 1902. Serial No. 101,256. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

BeitknownthatLBENJAMmLoUIsTooUET, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of YVestport, in the county-of Fairfield, State of Connecticut,have invented Improvements in Sparking Igniters for Gas-Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction and operationof gas-engines, more especially with reference to the igniting mechanismand the control thereby of the speed of the engine.

\Vhile my present improvements have been designed mainly for use on atwo-cycle gasengine fed with gasolene, my improvements are applicable toother types of gas-engines. In the drawings I have shown my invention asembodied in a duplex or twin-cylinder engine; but it will be readilyunderstood that my improvements can be embodied in a singlecylinderengine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of the engine.Fig. 2 is a side view of the engine, partly in section. Fig. 3 is asectional view, drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2, of a part ofthe igniting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of theconnections between the eccentric-rod and the guide-rod P. Fig. 5 is aView of a modification.

As is common in this class of engines, the explosive mixture admitted tothe cylinder is ignited by an electric spark produced at electrodeswithin the cylinder, one of these being a fixed electrode N, Fig. 2,carried by but insulated from the cylinder, and the other being amovable arm N, fixed on a shaft 02, passing through a bearing in thewall of the cylinder and having on the outside an arm 12 When such anengine as this is used in a launch, the spray is liable to form a shortcircuit between the exterior of the cylinder and the outwardlyprojectingend of the electrode. To prevent this, 1 provide a hood n, which coversand protects the insulating-joint between the cylinder and theelectrode.

My improved means for actuating the movable electrode will now bedescribed, each cylinder being equipped with a pair of electrodes andactuating means.

On the main shaft is an eccentric O, which actuates an eccentric-rod 0,connected, as

mally pressed against the body of the slide by springs 19 p. Directlyover this is an actuating-rod Q for the movable electrode, this rodbeing guided in a socket Qon the engineframe by means of a collar q anda sleeve q, the collar being fixed to or forming part of the rod, whilethe sleeve q can slide on the rod Q. Between these two collars is ahelical spring S. To the extreme upper end of the rod Q is fixed a heador collar The forked end of the arm n for the movable electrode embracesthe rod between the sleeve q and collar g so that when the rod Q ispushed up by one of the fingers p on the rise of the sliding rod P thearm n will be pushed upward until the movable electrode l comes intocontact with the fixed electrode N in the cylinder. The continued upwardmovement of the rod will only serve to compress the spring S between thecollar q and the sleeve q, forcing the mov able electrode N, however,into firm contact with the fixed electrode N until that finger p whichis supporting the rod is movedto'one side by means hereinafterdescribed, whereupon the spring S will start the rod Q down, the topcollar (1 will hit the arm M, and the rod Q, arm, and movable electrodewill drop, making a positive quick break at the electrodes inside thecylinder. The end of the downstroke of the rod Q is prevented from beinga destructive hammering stroke by reason of the bottom of the socket Qbeing sufficiently closed to act as a dash-pot, a small outlet 00allowing a slow escape of the air from within the dash-pot. By thisconstruction of electrode-actuating means I require the use of but onespring.

The upper end of the slide P is provided with two hinged fingers p 19,but only one acts at a time, one coming into use when'the engine isrunning in one direction and the other when it is running in the otherdirection. The means for throwing the operatingfinger p out ofengagement with the rod Q at the proper moment in the upstroke of theslide P comprise an extension 0 on the. upper end of the eccentric-rod0, having a pin or projection o projecting laterally in be- IOO tweenthe two fingers p p, and this eccentricrod is pivoted at 0 to the innerend of a link R, hung on a center 1" on the frame. I prefer to mountthis center 1" on the frame eccentrically and to connect it to ahand-lever 'r, so that the point of pivoting the link Rto the framev maybe thereby readily varied or adjusted. The eccentric-rod O is connectedto the vertically-reciprocating slide P by means of the stud 0 which isfixed in the slide P. This stud passes through a slot (shown by dottedlines in Fig. 1) in the eccentric-rod O and is fitted on its front endwith a short horizontal slide-block 0 (shown partly broken away in 'Fig.1,) guided in'a horizontal groove in the face of the eccentric-rod O.This connection gives the "desired longitudinal reciproeating motion tothe slide P, while allowing the connected eccentric-rod O the neededswing on its pivot 0 On the other hand, the mounting of this pivot 0upon the link R allows the eccentric-rod to have a longitudinal as wellas a swinging motion, so that the free upper end of the eccentric-rodhas a path of motion somewhat like an ellipse and such that at adetermined point in the upward travel of the slide-rod P the pin 0 willtrip or push the engaged finger p on its pivot out from under the rod Q,and the latter will then drop to break the circuit and make the ignitionin the cylinder, as already described. By moving the hand-lever 0" overlaterally to adjust the pivoting center 0 of the eccentric-rod throughthe link R the moment of ignition in relation to the stroke may bevaried to suit requirements. In that way the speed of the engine may begoverned or regulated very efficiently by the simple manipulation of thehand-lever 0". It will thus be seen that there are three characteristicfeatures of the described eccentric mechanism for operating and,tripping the igniting devicesfirst, there is the longitudinalreciprocating motion to bring the electrodes together and compress thespring S; secondly, there is the lateral or swinging motion of the freeend of the eccentric-rod which trips or causes release of the spring andseparation of the electrodes, and,

thirdly, there is the lateral adjustment of the 5 pivoting center of theeccentric-rod determining the point at which the spring shall bereleased and the ignition take place in the revolution of the engine.For the better understanding of this feature of my invention I haveshown in Fig. 5 a modification in which the slide P is dispensed withand the trippingfingers p p are mounted directlyupon the free upper endof the eccentric rod 0 This form of eccentric-rod is slottedlongitudinally to be free to move longitudinally on a slide Y, having apivotal con'nection.0 with a horizontally-adjustable though stationaryslide R, which thus takes the place of the link B. This pivotalconnection 0 thus forms the laterally-adjustable pivot for theeccentric-rod to determine the time at which the acting finger 19 shallbe withdrawn from under the rod Q by the lateral or swinging movement ofthe free upper end of the eccentric-rod.

I use the term eccentric in a sufficiently general sense to include acrank as its mechanical equivalent.

I claim as-my invention 1. In a gas-engine, the combination of the fixedelectrode and the movable electrode with a rod to operate the movableelectrode, an interposed spring on the rod and a socket surrounding therod and spring and a dash-pot at the lower end of the socket,substantially as described.

2. In a gas-engine, the combination of the fixed and movable electrodeswith a rod to actuate the movable electrode, an interposed spring, asocket in which said rod is guided,

said socket being formed as a dash-pot forthe return stroke of the rodand means for pushing the rod to close the circuit and compress thespring, and 'means for releasing the pusher.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination of the movable electrode with anactuating-arm, a sliding rod having a head and a fixed collar and freesleeve, a spring between the sleeve and collar with a socket in whichthe rod, collar and sleeve are guided, and which is formed as a dash-potfor the return stroke of the rod.

4. In a gas-engine, the combination of the movable electrode and itsactuating-rod with a reciprocating slide having a pivoted finger, aneccentric-rod having an extended free end to act on the finger todisengage it from the actuating-rod of the electrode and a link to whichthe eccentric-rod is pivoted.

5. In a gasengine, the combination of the movable electrode and itsactuating-rod with a reciprocating slide having a pivoted finger,

an eccentric-rod having an extended free end to act on the finger todisengage it from the actu ating-rod of the electrode, a link to whichthe eccentric-rod is pivoted, a slotted connection between the slide and.the eccentric-rod. 6. In a gas-engine, the combination of the movableelectrode and its actuating-rod with a reciprocating slide having apivoted finger, an eccentric-rod having an extended free end to act onthe finger, a pivoting-link for the eccentric-rod and means foradjusting the pivot of the link, as and for the purpose described.

7. In a gas-engine, the combination of the movable electrode and itsactuating-rod, with a reciprocating slide having a pair of pivotedfingers, an eccentric-rod having an extended free end to act on the twofingers, to free one or the other from the actuating-rod and a link towhichthe eccentric-rod is pivoted.

8. In a gas-engine, the combination of the movable electrode, and itsactuating-rod, with p end'toact on the finger to disengage it from theactuating-rod, a link to which the eccen trio-rod is pivoted, aneccentrically-mounted pivot for the link and a hand-lever to adjust saidpivot.

9. A gas-engine having as its means to actuate and trip its movableelectrode, an eccentric and eccentric-rod with a pivot for the latterbetween the eccentric and its free outer end, means for moving saidpivot laterally, and adapted to allow .both longitudinal and swingingmotion to the rod and a tripping-finger carried by and actuated by thefree end of the rod, substantially as described.

10. A gas-engine having as its means to actuate and trip the movableelectrode, an eccentric and eccentric-rod with a pivot for the latternear its upper end allowing it longitudinal and swinging motion, meansfor laterally adjusting said pivot and a tripping-finger actuated-by thefree end of the rod, substantially as described.

11. In a gas-engine, the combination of the movable electrode and itsactuating-rod and spring with an eccentric and eccentric-rod, a

pivot for the latter, means for moving the pivot laterally, the rodthereby having both longitudinal and swinging motion and atripping-finger actuated by the free end of the eccentric-rod,substantially as described.

12. I11 a gas-engine, the combination of the movable electrode and itsactuating-rod and spring with an eccentric and eccentric-rod, a

'pivot for the latter, allowing it longitudinal

